Following UFC Liverpool weigh-in, the weekend of sport has become more of a nail-biter than anticipated

Undoubtedly, this is possibly one of the greatest weekends of sport to ever grace the city of Liverpool. As their beloved Liverpool lock horns with the gigantic Real Madrid in the Champions’ League on Saturday night in their first major European final in thirteen years, the red side of Liverpool are fully hoping their powerful squad can bring home the most sought after silverware in Europe from Kiev, Ukraine.

Istanbul 2005 lives on in every scouser’s mind as the ultimate way to conquer Europe, defying odds throughout. Just the very next day, though, back home in Liverpool, hometown native Darren Till (16-0-1) aims to topple his greatest challenge yet in Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (14-2-1). A fight he has wanted ever since the UFC announced they were swapping Dublin for Liverpool.

As expected, tickets were sold out almost instantaneously. The UFC were finally in Liverpool and nobody wanted to miss it. After all, Till is absolutely the reason they’ve shipped up to Albert Docks. Liverpool is a fast-evolving hotbed for UK MMA and Till is leading the charge – front and centre.

Every scouser has been right behind the spurring welterweight. Every scouser has had a gorilla emoji at the ready as Till awaits his Echo Arena challenge, without a doubt that Darren gets the job done and works his way to world title contention.

Those seemingly cocky, brash Liverpudlians, packed with the same cocky, brash vibe that Darren Till carries has changed just the afternoon the day before the fight as Darren Till is far off the mark of 170-pounds without a second attempt. Till, with an almost apologetic tone to his ceremonial weigh-in appearance, didn’t look the same man we’d seen throughout the build-up.

Just as quick as the tickets sold out for UFC’s debut in Liverpool did the power shift into the favour of Stephen Thompson. A man who didn’t have any legitimate obligation to take this fight in the first place. Ranked as the number one contender, his opponent lies eight places below him. Statistically, ‘Wonderboy’ had much more to lose than gain in this situation – yet he took the fight nonetheless.

Thompson comes into enemy territory and, in consummate professional behaviour, makes weight without a problem. Once Till’s mishap occurred, the ball landed comfortably in Stephen’s court and in there it has remained.

As news developed, Till and Thompson came to the agreement that the Liverpudlian could not weigh more than 188-pounds come 1pm on Sunday, 27th May. For man who boasts of being a gorilla, boasting of being a light-heavyweight fighting at welterweight, keeping below 188-pounds is not going to be an easy task. Providing yourself with the moniker of such an animal simply cannot afford to miss that cut when the fate of an entire card rests on his back.

Keeping Till at 188, preventing him from re-cooperating to his very best health and abilities until the day of the fight can swing the bout tremendously in the favour of the American. A weaker, slower, far less rehydrated version of Till would be much more preferable for Thompson than the overwhelming power-puncher we saw take out Donald Cerrone.

Prior to fight week, this fight was viewed as a real close battle. One that seemed too tough to call up until the Liverpool-native creeped forward as the favourite, surprisingly given his ranking. Liverpudlians were expecting big things from their man, but as time gets closer, there is much more lying in the favour of the methodical approach of Stephen Thompson and his camp. Should he successfully weaken the undefeated prospect following a tense battle of their beloved club in Ukraine, a weekend of celebration may result in a weekend of trying to look on the bright side of the Docks.